The Smile That Saved My Life
Sien muttered under her breath.
“Rain looked happier when he was with that girl....”
“I still think Sien is the coolest by far!!”
“...Really?”
“Confirming first-grade on your third attempt! I’m so happy that someone like you is my friend, you know?”
It was completely over the top.
Even if she had secured first-grade on her third try, I didn’t find it particularly impressive. Strictly speaking, the fact that I could grow close to her was a pleasant thing, but it wasn’t exactly cause for happiness.
But it feels like something I have to say.
These words had burst out of me on pure reflex, born from the primal instinct to survive at all costs.
So why had my survival instinct suddenly flared up like this?
After seeing those eyes, not having one would be the crazy thing, wouldn’t it…?
I had encountered countless madmen throughout my life, yet there had never been a gaze that made me tremble with fear the way hers just had. That look alone could turn posers pretending at insanity into the genuine article.
They were all fakes….
Real madness layered atop fake madness.
That was exactly what Sien was, standing right in front of me.
“...Are you truly happy?”
“Yes. Really.”
“I see….”
Thankfully, my desperate scramble for survival seemed to have worked. The murky haze in her eyes slowly began regaining its light.
“———Aine Blair.”
“Huh?”
“Rain looked happier when he was with that girl….”
Yeah. It had been my mistake.
“I couldn’t possibly have seen wrong….”
Sien murmured as she kept stroking the hilt of her sword. The sight hit me harder than I expected, and my smile froze solid without my permission.
“Sien? Why are you gripping the hilt like that…?”
“...Who knows.”
Who knows.
Sien, what on earth is that supposed to mean….
“Friends aren’t for cutting.”
“...Huh?”
“Are you the kind of person who cuts her friends, Sien?”
“No. I won’t cut Rain.”
It seemed she had read my worry perfectly. Sien offered a small smile.
...At least I had one thing to feel relieved about.
I thought it was finally okay this time and had just begun to ease the tension from my stiff face when—
“I don’t know for sure, but….”
Sien suddenly clenched the hilt she had been toying with. The way she followed it with a helpless little “hehe” laugh was pure shock and terror.
What is this ominous afterword implying she might cut me if I mess up?
Rain.
The mysterious commoner cadet who had set countless records today and stunned the entire Academy, the great Sage who had realized the Truth of space and time.
Yet right now he was nothing more than a helpless hamster frozen before the strongest being in the world.
I’m definitely stronger than her right now….
I had no desire to fight, but somehow I felt like I would lose if we did.
Even so!
Who was I?
The insane villain who had challenged the entire world. A veteran among veterans who had lived that life for a full ten years.
When my junior villains occasionally asked, “Senior, how can you keep committing villainy for so long?” I would answer them like this.
“Sien, are you tired right now?”
With my outstanding sense and natural wit. And the innate body and mind to recall and execute it on the spot.
“...I’m not tired.”
“Then would you like to go for a night walk with me?”
“...A walk?”
Her ears practically perked up. If she had possessed dog ears and a tail, they would have twitched adorably.
Sien, who had been hesitant to approach me, slowly closed the distance while watching my expression.
“I reserved us a spot at the bakery for today, but it’s already gotten late.”
“...Yeah. You remembered.”
“Of course. How could I forget a promise I made with you?”
“...Really?”
“Are you saying you don’t believe me?”
“Ah, no! I believe you!”
Sien shook her head vigorously and quickly ran over to my side. Her behavior was so puppy-like that I nearly reached out to pet her without thinking.
“We both worked up a sweat, so let’s meet after a nice shower.”
“I’d be fine going for a walk right now….”
“I’d love to go for a walk with you right away too, but I smell really sweaty at the moment.”
“But that smell is nice….”
“Huh?”
“Ah, it’s nothing…! I was talking to myself…!”
Sien waved her hands frantically, face flushed bright red. She had muttered so quietly that I couldn’t catch it even standing right beside her. I didn’t know what she had said, but I had a feeling it would hurt if I found out, so I chose to let it pass.
“Then an hour should be enough?”
“Twenty minutes is plenty…!”
“You can shower that fast? From what I know, women usually need at least an hour———.”
“———Huh? What women are you talking about?”
“...Need! I think I read it in a book! Yeah! Especially people with long hair like you—I heard they spend a ton of time drying it.”
“...That’s fine. I have an artifact specifically for drying hair, so it only takes three minutes. …I see. So it was from a book.”
Sien stared at me with eyes full of suspicion. A soft click sounded, and this time I caught a clear glimpse of the blade I hadn’t seen up close before.
The sword reflecting the moonlight looked exactly like Laid, Sien’s final weapon that had cut me down in the past when she confessed she liked me. Goosebumps raced across my entire body.
“But if we stay like this, we’ll lose time for our walk.”
“Ah, that won’t do…!”
Her pupils shook violently. As if that was the one thing she could never compromise on, her purple eyes widened into perfect circles before she sprinted toward the dormitory.
“I’ll meet you in front of the dormitory in thirty minutes…!!”
She called out in a loud voice I had never heard from her before, then dashed away without looking back. Only after she had vanished into the darkness could I finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Once again today, I had succeeded in extending my life through the resourcefulness born of pure desperation.
“I bought it….”
Life really was all about real combat.
Unlike the warm daytime, the evening was cool. No matter how mild the northeastern region of the kingdom where the Academy stood, the sea breeze carried a chill that called for at least a thin cardigan.
I poured a cup of warm tea to sip during our simple stroll, then stepped out of the dormitory.
“Yeah, there’s no way she could make it here in thirty minutes.”
As expected, Sien was nowhere to be seen. Even if showering really took only twenty minutes like she claimed, subtracting three minutes to dry her hair left seven minutes to handle skincare, change clothes, and walk the whole distance. Was that even possible?
“Well, it’s nice that I get to be a gentleman.”
After all, waiting for a lady was one of a gentleman’s virtues. I had secretly wanted to experience a moment like this at least once, so a faint smile played on my lips———
“Rain…!!”
I knew tigers belonged to the cat family, yet somehow this dog-like girl named Sien had appeared at the perfect moment as if on cue.
Spouting some nonsense about the seven wonders of the world, I turned toward the direction of her voice……
And in that instant, I forgot how to breathe.
It was the traditional attire passed down in the martial world, she had said. The luxurious fabric and ornaments harmonized beautifully with her snow-white skin, but what truly stood out was the wide, long red ribbon wrapped around her slender waist, hugging the pure white dress and creating an aura that was both innocent and captivating.
That wasn’t all.
Her ash-gray hair with its gentle hue flowed like soft ripples, spreading out like flower petals drifting on a rainy day……
And her purple eyes that seemed to hold captured amethysts.
The eyes I had always thought of as mysterious and dreamlike were now looking straight at me.
…Sien’s eye shape was more elegant than I had realized. Her eyebrows formed the perfect vivid, precise curve—that must be why she gave off such a puppy-like impression.
Setting all those descriptions aside———
She was beautiful.
It was the simplest and most certain compliment I could offer.
“Sorry I’m late…!”
“Ah, no. I just came out myself.”
“Still, I was the one who suggested meeting in thirty minutes….”
Unsure what exactly she felt so sorry and upset about, Sien pouted her lips and kept glancing at me.
…This is killing me.
She already looked beautiful, and now she was pulling an adorable expression like that? It was completely unfair. I issued a stern warning to my rampaging heart and changed the subject.
“A-anyway, what is that outfit? Is it the traditional martial-world clothing I’m thinking of…?”
“Yes. It’s called a hanbok, but this is a modified version made to be comfortable for everyday wear.”
Sien, don’t lie. Anyone could see how complicated it looked—what part of that was designed for ease of wear….
And who wears high heels with comfortable clothes? Especially for a walk…!
———There were a mountain of things I wanted to say, but I somehow managed to swallow them all.
The fact that Sien had come to meet me wearing that intricate modified hanbok and those impractical high heels could only mean one thing……
“You look incredibly beautiful, Sien.”
“...Really? For real…?”
It was only natural she had wanted to look good for me. No matter how little dating experience I had from my villain days, I wasn’t stupid enough to miss that.
“Am I pretty? Really, really pretty…?!”
“Yes, I mean it. You’re incredibly pretty.”
“......”
Sien’s face flushed so deeply it looked like it might burst. It was so red I worried touching her cheeks would cause burns. The usual me would have teased her lightly, but……
To think I would get to see you smile again.
Seeing the smile I thought I would never witness again, I found myself unable to play any pranks.
“...I see. So I look incredibly pretty to you right now, Rain…. Hehe.”
Aside from the ache in my chest, I wanted to keep looking at that sight for as long as possible.
“L-let’s go for the walk now!!”
Sien hurriedly put distance between us and ran ahead.
“You shouldn’t run in high heels~.”
Even then, the way she kept checking whether I was following……
Was incredibly cute.